Matthew 12:31 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.

NIV: And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.

NASB: Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven.

CSB: Therefore, I tell you, people will be forgiven every sin and blasphemy, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.

NLT: So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven — except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven.

KJV: Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.

NKJV: “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.

As used in Scripture, the word "blasphemy" means expressing something disrespectful or evil about God. Among the worst forms of blasphemy are those which twist sacred truths about God into lies.

Taken out of context, it's understandable that this verse has caused many people to worry. There's a fear of experiencing a moment of weakness, blaspheming the Holy Spirit, and remaining unforgiven by God for all of eternity. However, Jesus is not warning about casual or thoughtless stumbles. In the most immediate context, He's speaking about an extremely specific sin, which can't be literally replicated today. In a broader sense, He also implies that our words reveal our hearts, which is where the true problem is.

Two things help us to understand Jesus' words here. The first is context. Jesus has been accused by some Pharisees of casting out demons by the power of Satan (Matthew 12:22–24). Jesus responded by pointing out that He cast out demons by the power of God's Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:25–28). This made the Pharisees guilty of giving credit to Satan for the work of the Holy Spirit. This is the blasphemy Jesus is talking about.

Why did the Pharisees do such a thing? Their goal was not truth; it was to discredit Jesus at any cost (John 5:39–40). When confronted with an obvious miracle, they were willing to attribute it to Satan. They chose that extraordinary act of blasphemy, rather than submission to God, because they rejected Jesus as the Son of God. That act, because it represents someone absolutely committed to disbelief, is proof that such a person is never going to find salvation. In the strictest sense, this is a sin which can no longer be committed today. The Pharisees talked to the Son of God in person, watched Him perform a miracle, and blasphemed God in response. This is not an act anyone living today can commit.

The only way for anyone to be forgiven for their sins, any sin, is through faith in Jesus (John 3:16–18). Faith in Christ causes God to take Jesus' death as payment for our sin and to give us the credit for Jesus' righteous life (2 Corinthians 5:21). A major work of the Holy Spirit is leading people to faith in Jesus (John 16:7–11). In a broad sense, those who "blaspheme the Holy Spirit" today are those who continue to reject the Spirit's message. They keep saying "no" to the Holy Spirit's leading, in essence calling Him a liar.

Those who persist in stubbornness and disbelief will not be forgiven, because they refuse to trust in Christ as the Holy Spirit is leading them to do. Since there is no other path to forgiveness except through faith in Jesus, their choice to consistently reject the Spirit's leading causes them to remain unforgiven (John 3:36).

Matthew 12 features confrontations between the Pharisees and Jesus over several issues. Among these are working on the Sabbath, healing on the Sabbath, and the source of His power to cast out demons. Jesus counters each argument and rebukes the Pharisees sharply for their obstinate unbelief. He even notes that those who maliciously ascribe His miracles to demons are unforgivable. He warns them, and the rest of their current generation, about the judgment to come. Jesus calls the Pharisees a brood of vipers and rejects their demand for another miracle. All they'll be promised is the sign of Jonah. The Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days. Jesus also states that all who do His Father's will are His family.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.